Park life
by paulinemcc
Summary: Party at the park, with a hangover. Fun right?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; **Own nothing, not for profit, yada, yada, yada.

**Park life**

Gail groaned as Chris pulled up to the entrance of the park. She was still slightly hung over and the blinding sunshine was doing little for her headache and even less for her mood. She wanted to be in bed sleeping but no, she was about to spend the next few hours pretending to be happy and full of fun because today was Leo's seventh birthday and everyone was gathering at the park to celebrate.

"Come on, it won't be that bad." Chris told her as he pushed her feet down off the dashboard of his jeep and got out to collect their contribution to the party.

"Why did you even let me get into that drinking game with 27?" She asked him as she slipped her shades down over her bleary eyes and followed her ex to the back of his car.

Chris snorted, like that had been his fault. "Because you wanted to win the hundred bucks and you did?" He replied giving her a look to tell her she should know this already.

Gail rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She muttered then waited beside him with her arms crossed as he pulled out a large holdall and a cooler. She eyed it hoping to hell that there wasn't any alcohol inside. She might just lose her breakfast cheerios.

As Chris locked up the car Gail glanced around looking for the rest of 15 Division. She scowled when she got nothing but a mass of other people enjoying the weekend and the good weather.

She sighed. just looking at the number of people enjoying themselves made her want to turn back. "The things I do for that kid." She muttered to herself with a very small, painless shake of her sensitive head.

"You not bringing your bag?" Chris asked as they left the parking lot and made their way into the large park just on the outskirts of the city.

Gail shrugged, bringing her bag with her would have been too much effort, it was hard enough thinking about having to deal with a squealing bunch of kids even if Leo was one of them.

"That why I brought you Chris." She eventually replied as she pulled out her cell phone from her cut off sweats and sent Dov a text demanding to know exactly where he and the rest of their little gang were hiding.

It was a big park and with this many people Gail refused to start wandering around aimlessly.

A reply text quickly beeped on her phone and she had to shield her eyes even with her sunglasses on just to be able to read it.

"There at the other end of the lake." She grumbled to Chris, clearly not happy with the walking that would involve.

Chris grinned as Gail pouted at him. "It took us ten minutes to find that parking space Gail, you'll survive the walk." He told her as he adjusted the holdall over his shoulder. He was the one doing the carrying anyway so the blonde really didn't have much to complain about.

Gail sighed and pushed her Ray-Bans further up her nose to keep as much sun glare out of her vision as possible.

They walked along the footpath, avoiding runners, cyclists, and the general public alike.

They also chose to ignore the group of potheads off to one side drinking beers in the grass and playing music a little too loud.

Days off were hard earned and no one wanted to have to waste one on something as petty as that.

But Gail still heard her mother's voice in her head, listing violations and the likelihood one or more of the group was probably wanted for something else or breaking parole conditions.

Think of your numbers her mother would say, well Gail mentally stuck two fingers up at her mother and kept her eyes forward.

By the time they had made it to the far side of the lake and had their friends in sight Gail felt like she'd been on a ten mile hike. Her clothing was as loose as possible but given her complexion she had to stay as covered as possible as well. The last thing she needed on top of a hangover was waking tomorrow to find herself with sunstroke or burnt like a lobster.

Sometimes she really hated genetics. For some reason Steve was better in the sun than she was, he freckled and would eventually tan if he worked hard enough at it. Gail on the other hand simply burnt and wouldn't tan if she spent the rest of her life trying.

She didn't even bother with fake tanning, really, what would be the point?

She'd accepted her skin tone a long time ago, but on days like this she wished it wasn't such an issue.

Especially when she spotted Chloe and Andy practically in daisy dukes and bras.

Gail groaned just at the sight of the pair as they giggled at something Dov said. She rolled her eyes and followed after Chris to the picnic table their friends had somehow commandeered for the afternoon. Someone must have got here very early.

"Hey guys!" Chris said dropping the holdall that held his and Gail's gift for Leo and some equipment for games. He waited until it was polite before heading over to where Steve, Nick and Frank were standing over the barbeque someone had brought with them. They looked lost as to how to set the thing up properly so felt like he could be of use given he had set the one up at the house he shared with Gail and Dov.

Gail found a spot at the bench and just sat down before groaning as she rested her head on the table top and proceeded to ignore the conversation going on around her. She hadn't even bothered with a hello of her own instead waving during Chris' and deciding that was as much effort from her that her friends deserved for making her walk all the way over here.

Traci, who was the one Gail had sat down next to, just eyed the blonde in amusement before sharing a grin with Andy. They had both been at the Penny last night and watched their friend get sucked into a tit-for-tat drinking game with some of the guys from 27 who had wandered in.

It was mostly a good natured rivalry but sometimes it did get a little out of hand.

"You okay there Gail?" Traci asked as she rubbed her hand along her friends back soothingly.

Andy sniggered as Gail just grunted without even lifting her head. She then grabbed for Dov and pulled him up from his seat beside Chloe. "Come on, they'll never get that up and running." She told him as she pulled him towards one of the many park exits.

Dov shook his head but had to agree with her as they heard the sound of metal crashing together.

"We never asked Gail or Chris what they wanted." He pointed out but Andy just shrugged.

"Chris will eat anything and I doubt Gail's up to eating right now anyway. Plus you should know what they'd both want, you've lived with them for three years." She pointed out.

Gail sighed and turned her head to find a more comfortable position for her neck. She kept her eyes firmly closed and tuned out any and all talk going on around her but she did enjoy Traci's continued back rub and the heat of the sun beating down on them.

It was so nice she might as well try and catch up on some of her much needed sleep.

xxxxx

Something slammed down very close to Gail's face and made her jerk up with and glare. Her eyes found Dov's face as he still gripped the bottle of water he'd almost smashed her face in with.

"You look like you could do with this." He told her, not bothered at all by her look. After a few years he'd learnt when his life was actually in danger around Gail and in the condition she was in right now, killing him would be too much work for the blonde.

"You'll keep Love Dove." She muttered at him but accepted the bottle as her mouth felt suddenly dry and she drank down half of the contents before looking around for the rest of the gang.

She spotted her brother kicking a soccer ball around with Leo and a bunch of other kids that had been invited along with their parents. Leo's school classmates she figured if she had to guess. It also accounted for the group of women off at another bench chatting away. They were part of the group but only through their kids with little to no effort at integration of the two groups from what Gail could see.

She approved. The less interacting she had to do today the better and everyone around her right now had been trained to leave her in peace or risk death.

"How's the head?" Traci asked as she broke off talking with Noelle as the other woman's sister came over with Olivia, Frank and Noelle's 4 month old daughter.

Gail shrugged as she finished off her water. "I guess I'll live." She replied in her grumpiest tone.

Traci chuckled and patted the blonde on the shoulder in consolation. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but lunch is being dished out if you're up to anything." She said pointing to the deli bags resting at the other end of the table that Andy and Chloe were going through.

Cold sandwiches.

Gail eyed the barbeque that some of the guys were still in deep conversation around. It didn't look like burgers or ribs were about to make an appearance anytime soon so she nodded. Beggars couldn't be choosers she guessed. It would tide her over until the men figured out what they were doing or until she made Chris stop somewhere on their way home later.

She caught Andy's eyes as she waved a wrapped package at her and asked, "What are the options?" Hopefully they weren't all cheese and pickle or something equally disgusting.

"Chicken or…" Andy called out as she looked around at the ones Chloe was unwrapping and putting on paper plates. "Ham." All the roast beef had gone already.

"Chicken." Gail answered back after some thinking. "There's no tomatoes right?" She added with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not." Andy kept her eyes averted from Gail and looked for the few she'd ordered with no tomato. She couldn't spot any and looked at Chloe in panic. "I think Dex took the last one without." She confessed to the redhead.

Chloe just shook her head and pull the tomato slices out of one of the sandwiches and handed it over to Andy with a grin. "Problem solved."

Andy took the plate then glanced over at Gail who was watching her like a hawk. Andy smiled and motioned for the plate to be passed along the table to Gail. She then watched as Gail lifted up the bread and had a quick glance at the filling before seemingly being satisfied with that and going for a bag of chips that had also been thrown her way.

Gail knew there was cheese puffs somewhere but right now some plain chips would do until she could corner Chris and find her stash. The sandwich didn't look that appealing but if it was the best her friends could do then she would just have to suffer with them for now.

She was definitely picking up Chinese on the way home.

She popped some more chips into her mouth then stood and went over to the cooler for a can of soda and was met by Steve and Leo. "Hey buddy, happy birthday!" She greeted the badge wearing seven year old who grinned at her bashfully. She held her fist out and Leo knocked hers with his own as he moved the soccer ball he was carrying over to rest against his other hip.

"Good day so far?" She asked him as she ruffled the mass of curls that passed as his hair.

Leo nodded. "Dad got me a new video game!" He said excitedly. "I'll bring it the next time I come over and we can play right?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure thing." She replied with a smile at him.

"Cool!" Leo said before being called to by a friend and he raced away to continue a new game.

Gail then turned and eyed her brother, wondering how he was feeling about sharing the day with Leo's dad. Dex had left his new girlfriend at home so maybe that was why there wasn't as much friction as she'd been worrying about.

"How are you?" She asked him softly as she opened her soda and took a sip, waiting patiently as Steve picked out his own.

Her brother sighed and shrugged.

Gail's eyes flicked around, spotting Dex watching Leo from the side of where the kids had set up another soccer game with a few of the other adults. "It'll get easier." She whispered softly.

Steve blinked then nodded. He had always known Traci and Dex shared custody of Leo and the last thing he wanted was to cause any kind of problems for Traci. But it was hard sometimes, spending so much time with Leo, and teaching him and laughing and playing with him, and then to see him run up to another man and call someone else Dad.

He knew it would get easier, but it could just as easily get harder too.

"I'm thinking about asking her to move in with me, her and Leo." He told his sister after making sure Traci wasn't nearby.

Gail rolled her eyes. Like Traci would move in and just leave Leo at her mother's house?

Before she could make one of her usual snarky comments she noticed that her brother actually looked nervous about sharing this news with her. She snorted and socked him in the stomach for being such a pansy assed girl.

"So just ask already, you know she'll jump at the chance." She told him confidently. She waited until he was grinning before adding, "You have a pool!"

Steve scowled at his sister as she headed back over to the bench, chuckling as she went. "Hey!"

He shook his head at her then followed after her, taking another soda with him to greet Traci with. He knew his girlfriend would say yes, but that didn't stop the flutter of nerves in his gut.

Living together was a big step and not just for him and Traci, but he knew once his parents found out they'd start expecting more. They want family dinners all the time, and Elaine would start dropping hints about a marriage and grandchildren next.

Steve loved Traci and he couldn't deny that he wanted all of that with her, but he wanted them to have the time to get there on their own without his mother pressuring them into it.

Gail's eyes twinkled as she watched Steve place Traci's soda down in front of her and then lean down to press a kiss to her cheek.

What Steve didn't know was that Traci had already been discussing with her and Andy when to bring up living together with Steve, Traci had been stressing that it might make Steve feel like he was getting an instant family and didn't know if that would freak him out or not.

Gail shook her head at the pair. They were both idiots.

"Aunt Gail!"

Gail looked up to see Leo waving her over.

Steve grinned as he heard his sister groan and placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "Go get them, they might just let you win." He told her jokingly as it was well know his sister sucked at any kind of sport. And even up against a bunch of kids she'd still suck.

Gail got up and shrugged off her brothers hands then glared at everyone that had heard his comments and were now currently laughing at her. "I hate you all." She groused at them and given that she was likely to make a fool out of herself in a minute she meant every word of that comment.

They just laughed harder at her.

"Want to play on my team?" Leo asked as Gail approached and he held out the soccer ball for her to take.

Gail produced her best fake grin as she took the ball and glanced around at the tiny people all eyeing her suspiciously. She rolled her eyes and tossed the ball onto the grass at her feet and kicked at it.

It travelled through them and they yelled and chased after it.

Gail rolled her eyes as she soon realised that it was basically just a free for all, and the kids did nothing but chase after the ball and then kick as hard and as quickly as they could in the hopes of sending the ball careening off in some other direction.

Heaven help anyone that got between their little feet and the ball.

Gail stayed firmly around the outside of the group of kids, copying what some of the other adults that had been asked to 'join in' did and tried to just keep them cordoned off from the rest of the innocent public.

She wondered at times like these as the kids screamed and raced in one direction and then another, why any sane person had more than one of the things.

And then the ball was heading straight for her face causing Gail to yelp and duck out of the way. That really wouldn't have helped her fading headache.

She looked behind her to see the ball rolling dangerously close to the lake.

She turned back to the onrushing herd of evil beings and stuck out her hand. "Stay!" She warned them, eyeing every child, even Leo, before she turned her back and went to retrieve the ball.

Which, right now, had been saved from the lake by a passing jogger.

Gail couldn't help but let her eyes flit over the woman's body. This woman was not only tall, beautiful and athletic but she had the most amazing tan and Gail was envious of her enough to scowl at her as she came to meet her.

"Hey, this belong to you?" The jogger asked pulling out her earplugs and catching her breath for the moment as she paused her run.

Gail took off her sunglasses as it was only polite and the sun was at the back of her now. But she did jerk her thumb behind her. "Nope, to those monsters. You got lucky, I think they've already took out five joggers by my count."

The woman scrunched up her face as the blonde kept her expression serious as she delivered that line but then her lip twitched and the brunette threw her head back and laughed.

Gail grinned, she wasn't sure why she'd said that but the sound of the woman's laughter made her glad she did. "I'm Gail Peck." She said, holding out her hand for the ball only to have the woman shake it.

"Holly Stewart."

They were still grinning at each other and shaking hands when Leo called out for the ball.

Taking her hand back Gail reached for the ball only to have Holly kick it towards the kids for her.

She scowled harder at the woman.

"What?" Holly asked as she stood there and put her hands on her hips, waiting for the blonde to reply.

Gail shook her head. "I should arrest you just for the jogging, don't make it worse for yourself." She warned Holly as she folded her arms across her chest and glared.

Holly tilted her head wondering if the blonde was serious or not. "Okay then." She said slowly still trying to figure the woman out.

"It's bad enough some of us have to spend our hangovers with a bunch of screaming children but to be out exercising on a day like this, that's just wrong." Gail told Holly.

Holly grinned fully and eyed the kids. "One of them yours?" She enquired carefully.

Gail snorted but pointed out Leo to the other woman anyway. "Best friends kid whose also dating my brother, his mom not Leo." Gail stopped after that and frowned at herself wondering if she was indeed still a little drunk.

Holly nodded. She had worked that last bit out all on her own.

Leo shouted for Gail again and Gail turned around to him and signalled that she'd be a minute.

"I should let you get back." Holly said although she didn't make to move off herself as she stood with the blonde.

Gail popped her Ray-Bans back over her eyes then looked the woman up and down again. Holly smirked at her and Gail grinned. She probably would have been blushing scarlet if she didn't have her eyes hidden but she just accepted that they both knew she was checking the brunette out and liking what she was seeing.

"We have water up there if you want any, food too." Gail offered wondering if Holly would accept the invitation.

Holly eyed the kids again and then the full table the blonde had indicated. It was very, very tempting.

"I've still got another two laps to go." She confessed with some regret. It was hard for her to get the time to run during the week so she really had to keep to her training when she could fit it in.

Gail felt strangely disappointed by the knock back but nodded at Holly. "Well it's there if you change your mind, we'll be here another hour or two and we've got plenty."

Holly grinned feeling better that Gail hadn't just turned away from her. "I'll keep that in mind." She told her then slipped her ear buds back into place and started off again. Just for her own amusement and curiosity, after about thirty yards she looked back over her shoulder and was pleasantly surprised to see the blonde still watching her.

Holly sent her a small wave then grinned to herself and really started to run her route around the lake. It never hurt to show off.

Gail watched Holly for a bit longer then shook her head at herself and made her way back over the grass to where Leo and his friends were still playing.

"At least I wasn't walking a dog." She muttered to herself. But she couldn't deny that the woman had been gorgeous and not only that she hadn't been scared off by her first few comments and that was rare.

More often than not people never knew how to take Gail's comments and instead often just did their best to avoid her and make a quick getaway. But Holly had figured that she wasn't trying to be cutting, it was just her personality.

When the kids had enough play, okay, when Traci announced that she was bringing out the cake, Gail finally wandered back over to the group. Steve had left for his shift and so had Frank, Noelle, the baby and her sister. Some of the other adults had started packing their things as their kids finally started to look tired out.

When Gail resumed her seat after a quick visit to the restroom she was pleased to find the barbeques was finally up and running. Which meant hot food.

She spotted Chris near the cooler again and called over to him, asking where he had hidden her cheese puffs. She watched him roll his eyes then move over to the holdall he had carried from his truck and tossed her a packet.

Gail grinned and burst into the bag happily.

Traci shook her head at her friend then patted her on the head. "So easily pleased." She said only to get a scathing look for it that made her giggle.

Then Dex came over, asking to speak to Traci alone. Gail, feeling protective over Traci watched the pair closely, she knew Dex had a temper and while things between Leo's parents seemed civil enough it paid to just keep an eye out.

But Gail soon watched Dex walking away from Traci and finding Leo to hug before walking further away from the group. She figured he was leaving too.

Traci sighed as she sat back down and picked her water back up.

"Everything okay?" Gail asked quietly, trying not to interfere.

"He can't have Leo this week after school, he and his latest bimbo are taking off for a break." Traci explained to Gail.

Gail frowned. "That's short notice." It was already Sunday afternoon and that left Traci very little time to work out alternative arrangements. He could have mentioned this to Traci earlier on in the day. Jerk.

Traci took another deep drink from her soda, wishing it had a healthy dose of alcohol in it. "Yup."

Gail finished some more of her cheese puffs as she sat there thinking. She knew her schedule for the week and she had two night shifts that ruled her out those days, but maybe between her and the rest of the gang they could work their shifts around what Traci needed.

She shrugged at her friend and popped another puff into her mouth crunching it happily. "We'll cover it." She told her friend. She watched Traci turn and give her a look. She shrugged. "You know he loves being at the house and there's three of us around, four if you count Dov's limpet." She said gesturing to Chloe with a jerk of her chin.

Traci was motionless for a moment then she was shaking her head. "I can't ask you to-"

"You're not asking, I'm offering, and believe me, I'd rather spend my time with Leo than the princess over there." Gail told her friend.

Traci gave Gail another look, she'd been considering asking Steve but she knew he was working a major case right now and would be lucky to get a day off in the next few weeks. "Are you sure?"

Gail grinned, if Traci was asking her that she wasn't far off agreeing. That meant all she had to do was get Dov and Chris on side and while Chris was easy enough, she'd have to use bribery with Dov and as much as it would pain her that often meant having to put up with Chloe being around the house at all hours of the day and night.

But she'd put up with that if it helped Traci out and gave Leo a bit of stability. The boy had stayed over at the house more than a few times already so it wouldn't be anything out of the general norm for the kid, and with the new games he had gotten today it would be even easier for him to be okay with the switch.

"Burgers are up!" Came a shout that got everyone's attention.

While the kids were back to playing, although their numbers had fallen, they'd been happy with sweets, soft drinks and cake while that adults had all been waiting for this moment and quickly lined up to get their share of the spoils.

Gail however remained in her seat as she spotted Holly had just took off down the far end of the lake again. Damn she should have been paying closer attention.

She pouted then reached for her drink, her eyes staying on Holly as the neon yellow running top stood out clearly among the other walkers and joggers.

"Cake?"

"What?" Gail replied only to find Leo placing down a paper plate with a slice of his birthday cake down in front of her with a proud grin. "Oh." He'd even provided her with a plastic spoon.

She stared at it hard, it was chocolate cake, who didn't like chocolate cake?

She then eyed Leo as she picked up the spoon and prepared to take a corner off, she paused though.

"Is it any good?"

Leo nodded.

"And where is yours?"

Leo pointed to his stomach and gave her the biggest grin.

"Okay then." She said before shaving off a small slice and eating it with an exaggerated moan of pleasure that made Leo giggle. "That is good."

"Yup." Leo agreed as he sat beside her when his mom sat down and placed a plate of barbequed chicken wings down in front of him.

Gail eyed the other plate in Traci's hand, the one with burgers, and watched with some pleasure as it was placed down within her reach.

She didn't waste any time in claiming one and peering under the bun, it was just the burger, and while it looked slightly burnt it would do very nicely right now, Gail was starving.

But after one bite Gail was looking for a napkin and with a disgusted look on her face she spat the mouthful out. She looked at the rest of the burger and saw just how pink and bloody the meat was inside.

"Who cooked this?!" She yelled over at the guys. They all stared back at her wide eyed and refrained from saying anything incriminating. Men. Such wimps. "Well whoever it was, black on the outside doesn't mean it's cooked!" She said with her patented glare.

Chris hurried over and grabbed for her burger. "I'll get you a fresh one." He offered.

"Don't bother." Gail replied, just the thought of chancing their cooking again was putting her off barbeque for life. No wonder they always ordered take-out at home.

"Come on it couldn't have been that bad." Chloe said off of Gail's scrunched up horror stricken face. Dov had done most of the cooking and her burger had been fine.

Gail glared at the redhead, wondering how on earth she put up with that level of cheeriness anywhere near her on a daily basis.

Traci snorted into her drink as Gail continued to glare at Dov's girlfriend. She then looked at Andy who grinned back at her and quickly set about finishing off her own burger.

"Want one Aunt Gail?" Leo asked, holding his plate wings out for her to share.

Gail smiled at him, touched by the offer, but she shook her head. "That's okay, I've still got my sandwich." She told him and he took the last wing on his plate and bit into it.

As Leo finished Traci grabbed for him before he could run off and play again and took a quick minute to wipe his face and hands clean from all the food and dirt he'd been playing around in.

Another reason to never have kids. They were gross, messy, germ ridden little people that had way too much energy in their systems to be legal.

Gail managed just a single bite of her chicken sandwich before Leo was calling her back over to play with him.

Gail swallowed down her bite quickly as Traci laughed beside her.

Sometimes she really hated her life but then her eyes went to the lake and she stood, with any luck she might spot Holly on her way by and catch her for a quick chat.

She eyed what was left of her food then glared at her friends. "Anyone goes near this and you'll die slowly, I don't care if there's kids around." She warned them before heading off to join in with Leo again.

This time she consciously took up a position near the path and let her eyes constantly drift to the side hoping to see Holly making her way back around this side of the lake.

Something flew into her face and she batted at it, hitting her arm in the process. "Damn bugs." If it wasn't the heat or the risk or burning her skin it was the damn summer bugs that had to be annoying her.

A few minutes had passed before Gail felt her throat going dry and with a frown she cleared it only for that to make it feel worse. She blinked and glance back to the others still up at the picnic bench wondering if she should shout someone over with her water.

But as she took a breath to shout up at them she felt her throat close over and it made her stumble to her knees. She couldn't breathe. She sucked and sucked but her lungs felt like they were starting to burn as all she got was a wheezing sound. She then felt herself starting to panic.

She knew exactly what was happening to her, she was going into anaphylactic shock.

In the middle of a park where she couldn't even call out for help.

"Aunt Gail?" Leo asked as he broke away from his friend to come see why Gail was on the ground.

Struggling with her breathing, Gail glanced at Traci's son wishing he was far away from her, she didn't want to scare him with this. There was nothing he could do, nothing anyone could do.

"MOM!"

Traci's head snapped away from Andy and spotted her son touching Gail's back as the blonde knelt down beside him. Suddenly she was up on her feet and racing towards the pair, skidding down onto her knees beside them as she reached for her son but he looked fine, scared but not hurt. She then took in her friend and realised she was struggling to breathe.

"Hey, Gail?" She tried but Gail just kept taking in gasping, rattling gulps of air. "What happened?" She asked Leo but he just shook his head having no idea.

Traci gathered Gail into her arms and tried to ease her back to lean against her. If the blonde was struggling to breathe hunching over like she was wasn't going to help. "Hey, hey, just take slow deep breaths." She instructed her friend but it didn't seem to do any good.

She glanced up to find they'd been surrounded by the rest of the gang. Dov had his cell at his ear calling for an ambulance. But everyone else just watched on with terrified looks on their faces.

"What's wrong with her?" Andy asked clearly concerned.

Traci shook her head.

"Did someone hit her, did she choke on something?" Chloe asked having took first aid training just like the rest of them.

"I don't know." Traci replied.

Chris clenched his jaw as he watched his best friend struggling. Dov closed his cell phone beside him and let them know help was on the way. Chris took in Gail's closed eyes and how limp her body was against Traci and his gut was telling him this was really, really, bad.

"Call Steve." He ordered Dov who glanced at him and then at Gail before spinning away with his phone back at his ear.

"Let me through, move, move!"

Traci glanced up from trying to comfort Gail to find a woman with dark brown eyes and a warm smile kneeling just in front of her and Gail. She stared at the woman hopefully, but really how could this stranger help when none of them had any idea what was going on.

Holly smiled at the dark skinned woman holding Gail and figured this must be Gail's nephew's mom. But introductions could wait.

"Gail, can you open your eyes for me sweetheart?" She asked softly as she placed one hand on the blonde's neck and let her other cup Gail's cheek. "That's it, good girl." She encouraged the blonde as crystal clear blue eyes found hers.

Gail blinked the tears from her eyes and did her best to roll them at the condescending tone coming from Holly, but right now it was all she could do to struggle to breathe.

Dov leaned over at them.

"Steve said it might be an allergic reaction she's having to something."

Holly had already worked that much out for herself. She kept her eyes on Gail. "Try to slow your breathing and just breathe through your nose, that's it, slowly." She grinned at Gail before glancing at the crowd around them. "Ambulance?" She asked.

"On its way." Chris replied.

Gail tried to shake her head but she was getting weaker. Luckily Holly felt the movement and focused back on her.

_PEN_

Holly blinked watching the blonde's lips move, then she got it. "Epipen?" Gail tried to nod. "Here?" Holly asked and Gail mouthed something to her, this time it was harder to decipher the word from her attempts to breathe.

Holly didn't have time to waste. She glanced up at the faces around her. "Does she have a bag? She needs her adrenalin injector. If she knows her allergies can be this severe she should be carrying one with her at all times."

Chris screwed his eyes shut. "Her bags in my jeep. On the other side of the park." He told them all.

Holly swore under her breath and focused back on her patient. Her blues eyes now looked resigned and the tears fell a little bit quicker from her eyes. Holly gave the blonde a pleading look, willing her not to give up.

She then glanced up at the tall dark haired guy that had spoken. "Run." She ordered him and after a glance at Gail he took off. One of the others went with him.

It was going to be five to ten minutes before they got back, the ambulance was probably ten minutes out as well.

And as Holly looked into Gail's eyes she realised that the blonde already knew this. Her gasps for air had slowed and gone shallow.

Holly let out her own shuddering breath and cupped Gail's face gently. "Okay, here comes the tough part." She explained to the blonde. "Help's a little way off so I need you to just relax as much as you can and just close your eyes." It was a very hard thing to ask of the blonde, especially given how dangerous Gail's situation was right now.

"Steve's on his way back." Dov said softly feeling like he should let Gail know.

Gail sagged against Traci.

Traci glanced worriedly at the brunette whose name she'd never gotten but who seemed to know Gail somehow.

Holly just kept a gentle hold of Gail's face. "We're going to lay you flat on the ground now Gail, and I need you to stay calm and relaxed, can you do that for me?"

Gail pried her eyes open and attempted a glare. _Doctor?_

Holly grinned.

Gail guffed and it made Holly chuckle knowing the blonde was scoffing at this new piece of knowledge. She shrugged at the blonde and eased her down with the help of the other woman.

Holly eyed the other woman who now looked a little lost. "Can you raise her legs and keep them up?"

Traci nodded and scrambled around. "I'm Traci by the way."

"Holly."

Gail mouthed at Holly again.

"That's right, Doctor Holly Stewart." Holly repeated for the blonde.

Gail grinned and closed her eyes. If she was going to die at least she'd gotten to flirt with a doctor. She wondered if her mother would have been proud if she'd managed to score that date she'd been hoping to build up to with Holly.

Ah well.

Holly watched carefully and as she suspected, Gail drifted into unconsciousness. Quickly she took up position at the side of the blonde placing her hand carefully at her neck needing to keep a very close watch on her heart rate. It was slow but that wasn't unexpected given the reduced circulation Gail's body was suffering from.

"Oh my god!" Chloe said turning away and covering her face.

Holly ignored everything but Gail.

"Andy's coming!" Dov called out.

Holly kept watching Gail. Her breathing had slowed more but she was still getting oxygen into her lungs. Enough to keep her heart going for now.

Andy gasped and dropped Gail's bag next to Traci as she bent over and tried to recover from her desperate sprint back.

Holly didn't bother looking at Traci as she instructed. "It'll be in its own box, or it'll be white and look like a big pen or flash light."

"This it?" Traci asked holding out a white cylindrical object.

Holly took the injector with a nod and pulled at the clothing at Gail's hip, checking the type of injector before pressing a button then stabbing the needle that dropped down hard into Gail's thigh, holding the device in place as it released its dose of adrenalin into Gail's system.

Far off the sound of approaching sirens could be heard.

Another minute or two of patient silent watching they were all grateful when Gail's chest started to rise and fall more evenly.

Chris high fived Dov, taking Holly's grin and nod as a sign that things were working and Gail was going to be okay.

Holly sighed as a short time later Gail's eyelids fluttered back open. "Hey." She whispered softly as the blues eyes tried to focus on her. Holly pulled the injector free and fixed Gail's clothes before leaning closer to the blonde.

"You did just fine." She told her before easing back and grinning at Gail.

Gail tried to grin back but her head was fuzzy and her chest hurt. And she realised at some point her sunglasses had come off because the sun was now blinding her. She groaned and closed her eyes but not before searching out Holly's hand and gripping it tightly.

Holly squeezed the hand in her own but then she had to let go as the paramedics arrived and rushed towards Gail. Reluctantly she cleared out of the way after giving them the injector and informing them that it was anaphylactic shock that Gail had suffered from although she had no idea of the trigger.

They gave Gail an oxygen mask and loaded her onto a board to take her back to the ambulance. They'd need to run some tests and make sure that Gail was fully recovered before they could release her but Holly was confident that Gail Peck was going to be just fine.

She stepped further back as the friends all gathered around Gail as she was being led away. All expressing their relief that she was going to be okay. One mentioning that it was a good ploy to get out of clean up duty.

Holly grinned watching them go. She had a nagging suspicion about Gail, Peck wasn't that common a name after all.

If she was right, this might not be the last she sees of the blonde after all.

Her eyes followed the group as they headed out of the park and then she turned around and started up her run again.

Maybe if they did meet again, Holly could get something a little stronger than water from the blonde. She did play a small part in helping to save her life after all.

She snorted to herself and wondered if that line would get her anywhere with the blonde. Gail, she thought, would probably point out that it was her friends that got her injector, or that the ambulance basically arrived at the same time.

And Holly wondered how long she'd have to wait to find out.

She picked up her pace and decided that another lap of the lake was in order.

Suddenly she had a little extra energy to burn off.

xxxxx

**AN/**

There will be a part two, but I have no idea if I will make this into a longer fic right now.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Andy chewed on her fingernail as she joined Chris, Dov and Chloe as they waited on news about Gail. Steve had arrived back just as Gail was being loaded into the ambulance and had gone with Traci to the hospital, with Traci leaving Andy to get her son to her mothers.

Chloe eyed Andy and bit her lip before asking, "Do you think it was-"

"I don't know Chloe, okay!" Andy hissed at her, worried about her friend and about the role she might have played in sending Gail to the hospital.

Dov eyed the pair suspiciously from his seat at the table. "Wait, do you think…what?"

Chloe moved across and sat down beside Dov. "It's just, we," She gestured between herself and Andy, who scowled at her for the inclusion. "Might have, well, we gave Gail that sandwich and that was the last thing she ate right?"

Andy sighed in relief then shifted out of the way as Chris came over with a tray of tea and biscuits.

Dov grinned at his girlfriend and patted the back of her hand. "I'm sure it wasn't that." He offered reassuringly.

"Yeah, I mean, the only thing I know that she's allergic to is tomatoes and there's no way she would have eaten a sandwich with them." Chris explained as he set a tea down in front of each of his friends. "She always checks."

Andy swallowed hard and slumped into the empty seat, resting her head against her fist as she shared a distressed look with Chloe.

So it was them.

Chloe's eyes began to water and she looked at Chris apologetically.

"What?" Chris asked then his smile faded as he took in the looks shared between Chloe and Andy. He blinked and shook his head. "You didn't did you?" He asked in a whisper as he looked from one to the other, waiting on an answer. "She almost died."

"I know that! Don't you think I know that?!" Chloe cried out as her tears started to spill past her eyelids. She wiped them quickly away and stood, unable to bear the looks she was receiving. "I thought she hated tomatoes the way she said she hates eggs!" She gave the boys a pointed look. "But she eats _them_ all the time, how was I supposed to know?"

"Hate, isn't the same as ALLERGIC Chloe!" Chris bit out as he forced himself to remain in his seat.

Dov was confused. "Wait. Just wait." He said hoping to calm Chris down before he said something to really hurt his girlfriend. He turned to Andy and Chloe. "We bought ones with salad but no tomato, I was there."

Andy looked away in guilt. She'd been flirting with Nick and hadn't paid attention, and by the time Gail was asking for one, those ones had all gone. "Everybody was grabbing theirs and I guess they just went before Gail got hers."

Chris was still confused, he'd dated Gail, eaten out with her countless times. It never mattered what she ordered, she always, always checked. He shook his head not believing this.

"She's not stupid, she wouldn't eat that, no way." He told them as he stood and distanced himself from the others and leant back against the kitchen counter and folded his arms.

Chloe winced. "I took them out." She admitted softly.

Chris uncrossed his arms and shifted forward. "Say again?" He asked as he glared at Chloe and Andy.

Chloe turned and met Chris' gaze. "I pulled them out of the sandwich we gave her." She confessed quietly.

"You did what?" He asked leaning closer, his eyes darkening.

Dov eyed his friend carefully as he worried about him upsetting Chloe but he was conflicted because Gail was one of his closest friends as well. Chris was right, she could have died today. He felt awful.

"I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt Gail." Dov said to Chris, trying to keep his friend calm.

Chris couldn't believe Dov was defending them.

"Are you serious?" He asked Dov as he stepped towards him. "Were you there? I can't believe this!" He said as he started pacing and the others watched on cautiously.

Dov put his hand out to Chris and was about to tell him that Andy and Chloe would never intentionally do this, it was just a mistake and after they apologised to Gail everything would be fine. But as he opened his mouth to say that the front door slammed open and the loud shouting drew all of their attention.

"You will listen to me young lady, and do as you are told!" Elaine Peck yelled as she tried to keep up with her fast paced daughter.

"I'm 26 mother, not 6!" Gail returned the shout as she slammed the door to her bedroom after her. Gail wasted no time in changing out of her current clothes and into a pair of jeans and her favourite jumper. She slipped into her boots and grabbed her leather jacket as she headed back out of her room only to come face to face with her mother again.

Steve had known better and left her at the hospital with a kiss on the cheek and the promise to catch up later in the week if work permitted.

But he'd also left her with no way home other than accepting the torture of a ride with Elaine Peck.

The bitch from hell.

"Move." Gail muttered as she glared at the figure blocking her way.

Elaine glared right back at her daughter before gesturing to her change in outfit. "And just where do you think you're going?"

Gail shook her head and pushed past her mother into the hallway as she set about looking for her bag. It wasn't there. She scowled and as she looked around she spotted the gang of her friends and roommates hiding out in the kitchen.

She headed right for them with Elaine at her back.

"If you think you are going anywhere but home with me then you can think again." Elaine told her daughter as she ignored the onlookers. "You obviously can't even look after yourself properly or this would never have happened."

Gail narrowed her eyes at that, more so when she noticed how terrified Chloe looked of her as she got out of her chair and almost ran behind Dov.

Like that would help her.

Gail had been raking her brain over what had happened and looking at her friends right now she could feel the guilt pouring from Chloe. She'd had to endure a full body search to check for bite marks, a naked full body search. She wasn't a fan. Especially when her mother had to be forced from the room prior to it.

Dov put his hands out quickly and stepped in Gail's way as the blonde headed for his girlfriend.

"Now Gail, just listen-" He said quickly trying to get his words out before Gail did anything permanently damaging to his girlfriend.

Gail put her finger up and glared at him until he shut up. She then made eye contact with the redhead. "What did you do?" She demanded.

"I…I didn't" Chloe's eyes watered as she stuttered through her attempt at an apology. When she faltered she looked to Andy for help.

Gail caught the look and turned to see what Andy had to add to the conversation as she crossed her arms and waited.

Andy swallowed hard and lifted her hand to rub at the back of her neck. "Well see, it was…"

"It was what, McNally?" Gail asked as she waited impatiently.

Andy's shoulders slumped as she realised her friend had a right to know that this was all down to her. Chris was right, Gail could have died today.

"It was me, I gave you a sandwich that had tomatoes in it." Chloe explained quickly, not wanting Andy to take sole blame for this, it had been her mistake for assuming Gail was just being dramatic about not eating tomatoes. "I'm so sorry." She added as she lost her battle to keep her tears at bay.

Gail narrowed her eyed and stepped towards the redhead. When Dov stood in her way she just raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a steely look until he moved aside.

Chloe wouldn't look at her.

"You gave me a sandwich with tomatoes in it?" She asked.

Chloe sniffled and nodded as she wiped at her face. "But I took them out I swear!" She added thinking that should make a difference.

Gail snorted.

"Gail?" Elaine said from where she stood just outside the small kitchen area. "Let me handle this." She told her daughter as she eyed the girl responsible for sending her daughter to the hospital.

Gail looked over her shoulder for a split second before taking in Chloe's despondent posture. She shook her head and chuckled, earning looks from everyone in the room including her mother. Her chuckles built until she starts laughing so hard she had to lean over to try and catch her breath.

"Oh my god!" She said as she straightened, a grin still covering her face. "You are unbelievable Princess." She continued as she shook her head.

Chloe frowned at Gail wondering what was so funny. She then glanced over at Andy but her friend just shrugged having no idea either as to what was going on with Gail.

Gail moved away from Chloe and started looking for her bag again.

"Gail?" Chris asked.

"Where the hell is my bag?!" She asked in frustration.

Chris' eyes widened then he headed for the door. "It's still in the jeep." Where he'd returned it after Andy had race back to the group with it, when he hadn't wanted to waste time looking for the injector himself.

Chloe took a deep breath and moved over to the blonde. "Gail? I'm really sorry." She told her. They had never had the best of relationships but she never had meant to hurt the blonde.

Gail tilted her head, still grinning. "So what you're saying is that you tried to kill me, is that right?"

"Well that's a little…" Harsh. Andy thought but Dov glared at her and she shut up.

The tears returned as Chloe looked at Gail.

"The jokes on you then Price," Gail said as Chris returned and placed her bag on the table for her. She graced him with a smile and dug into it for her purse and keys. She then looked back at Dov's girlfriend. "It was a bee sting. Happy now? Feel better?" She asked with a fake smile this time.

She then spun around and headed for the front door, deftly avoiding her mother's outstretched arm.

"Where do you think you are going?" Elaine asked, wanting to know more about what was going on and if she needed to find some horrible job to occupy the redhead girls time at 15 with. However short that was about to be if she had anything to do with Gail's condition today.

"Anywhere you're not mother!" Gail called out as she slammed her way out of the house and headed for her car.

Elaine knew there was no stopping her hard headed daughter so she let her go. Right now she had information to obtain, and possible punishments to devise.

She turned to the officers, all of whom she recognised. Which was good for her, bad for them.

"And which one of you would like to explain to me how a day out at a park almost ending in my daughter's death?" She asked them with her most hard and threatening look.

Her daughter might drive her crazy but if anyone in this house had hurt Gail, she would make them very, very sorry.

"I'm waiting." She said as all they did was shuffle uneasily and look around at each other. "Craig, why don't we start with you?"

Chris chuckled nervously.

xxxxxx

Gail barely registered the noise around her as she sat at a corner table out of the way in the first bar she could find that wasn't associated with cops. Here she was just another face in the crowd which is what she wanted, needed right now.

So when someone pulled out the seat next to her and sat down she went from glaring into her glass to glaring at them.

Only to find that it was Chris.

She continued to glare even as he smiled at her and set his own drink down. Annoyed that he had found her but not completely surprised either, she looked around behind him just to make sure he was alone.

"If I find out you put a tracking device in my car I'm arresting you!" She warned him as she took a sip from her glass.

Chris just smiled and stared at his beer bottle for a while, letting the silence linger between them. He'd dated Gail for a year, if you included a two month break, and it might have taken him time to figure out but he got Gail now.

He knew her well enough to know when to push and when not to. And right now he guessed she'd had to put up with too much Elaine Peck since the park. That would put even Oliver Shaw on edge, but for Gail it must have been torture. Especially if Gail's mom was using the incident at the park as proof that Gail still wasn't ready to look after herself. And if she couldn't do that while out of uniform what did it say about her ability to do her job.

"When I was a kid," Chris said quietly, still with his eyes on his beer. "My mom would go off on me all the time over nothing. I never felt like I could do anything right for her, especially after my dad walked out on us."

Gail looked up at him. She knew a little about his mother, about his childhood, but not from Chris and she had never felt like it was her place to pry.

Chris took a drink from his beer, he never really spoke about this, even Denise didn't know and he'd dated her for years. "I blamed myself for years, that if I could just do things the way she asked me to then it'd be okay, you know?" He shrugged at Gail then picked at the label of his bottle. "At one point she wouldn't do anything, just stay in bed all the time and I guess one of the neighbours, they called social services." He tried to smile and make light of it but that day when he got home from school to see that strange car out front and the lady in his living room beside his crying mother.

He'd never been that frightened before.

Gail felt her heart go out to the younger Chris for having to go through that. She reached out and covered his hand.

Chris smiled at Gail and went back to his story. "It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. I mean it was scary, really scary at the time because I thought they were going to take me away from her." A touch of that fear reared up again as he recalled sitting in the back of that car and being told everything would be alright by a stranger.

But it had been, eventually.

"I got a caseworker just to make sure my mom was doing stuff for me, but what really helped is that Sharon, my caseworker, great lady, noticed my mom's behaviour and recommended that she see a doctor. Turns out they found that she was clinically depressed. She got put on medication for a few years and it really helped her get through some stuff, along with counselling." He explained before grinning at her. "She's like a different person now, happy! Got a steady boyfriend, new house."

"I'm glad." Gail told him sincerely.

Chris finished off his beer and looked at Gail's and pointed as he stood up. "Another?"

Gail still had most of her drink in her glass so she shook her head.

"You sure?" He asked again before accepting Gail's answer and going to get his own refill.

Gail leaned her head in her hand and tried her best to work out what Chris was trying to tell her with that story. Her own mother was not depressed, she may be suffering from some form of neurosis but Gail doubted it could be fixed with a few pills and a weekly chat with a therapist.

"Maybe a lobotomy would help." She muttered to herself as she took another small sip from her glass.

"What was that?" Chris asked as he sat back down.

"Nothing." Gail replied with a shake of her head. The less she had to talk about that woman the better.

"So," Chris said as he grinned at Gail, wondering if he could get away with his next comment. "My point was, that maybe one day your mom will wake up and not be such a bitch anymore." He finished and gave Gail his most charming smile.

Gail was stunned by Chris' words for a second before she snorted and dissolved into genuine laughter.

Chris chuckled as he watched his friend laughed, pleased to see her smiling.

"Unlikely I know, but don't give up hope." He told her with a smile as he tipped more beer into his mouth. He was quite pleased with himself for managing to get Gail into a relatively good mood, it made it easier to ask his next question without fear she'd tear him a new one.

He waited though as Gail lifted her glass at him and he clinked it with his beer bottle.

"I'm not sure what she hates more, that her plan with stationing Nick at 15 didn't work or that I came out to her." Gail said softly as she shook her head. "She acts like I'm saying it just to get her attention and her solution is to blame it on my leaving home. Like that's why I'm gay!"

"Maybe she's just… worried she doesn't know you anymore?" Chris said reluctantly, hoping Gail wouldn't hit him for voicing his opinion.

Gail stared at Chris for a long moment, long enough to make him blush and almost finish off his beer in one swallow.

"Just a thought." Chris told her, his voice softer now, worried he'd upset Gail.

Gail picked up her coaster mat. Out of all of her friends Chris was the one she spent most of her time with because although they'd had a few rough patches they had experienced a lot together and she trusted him now. Enough to listen when he had something to say to her. No one else would have tried looking for her tonight, not after the way she had stormed out of the house. But Chris was just being Chris.

"Maybe." She finally replied. If that was her mother's deal she wished she would just come out and say that instead of treating her like a kid again. She glanced over a Chris and narrowed her eyes, holding his gaze as she asked, "Do you think I've changed?" She didn't feel any different to how she always had, it was just now it finally made sense to her as to why she could never make a relationship with a guy work. Even a guy as nice and caring as Diaz.

Chris chuckled and gave her an incredulous look. "Oh, HELL NO!" He told her. "You're still you, still scary and direct and damn, damn h-o-t!"

Gail laughed again.

He grinned and waited for her to calm down. "But you kinda are different too, you're, I don't know, happier? More at ease with yourself?" He couldn't really find the right words so he shook his head. "Something's different, but it's a good different, honest."

"Thanks." If only Elaine Peck thought that.

Chris nodded and finished what was left of his beer. "Another?" He asked as he got back to his feet again.

Gail shrugged then finished her drink. "Sure, coke."

Chris paused as he took the glass from her.

"I've got the early shift tomorrow." She explained when he looked at her with wide eyes.

"Oh." Chris abruptly sat back down.

Gail looked at him funny. "What? I don't have to get blind drunk every night you know." She said, annoyed at his stunned reaction.

"No, yeah, I get that." He told her quickly as he felt bad for upsetting her. "It's just, I was kinda hoping to wait out a few drinks before asking you something." He explained to her.

Gail frowned wondering why he would need her drunk to ask her anything. "Just ask Chris."

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and cleared his throat. Then he looked right at her.

"Why'd you lie back at the house, about it being a bee sting?" He asked her in a confused tone.

Gail rolled her eyes and chuckled a little. "Trust you to be the only one that knows that." Even her mother hadn't refuted her claim, that was how little the woman really knew her.

"Well you freaked me out that time I tried to take you camping." He told her with a grin. "Telling me that you'd forgot your injector and that if there was any bad bug bites you might die out there!"

Gail groaned and put her hands to her face, remembering how she'd scared him enough to make him turn around and drive them back home. She'd felt bad when he'd found her Epipen in her bag as he unpacked their stuff back into the house. She'd come clean and suggested that she'd be willing to set the tent up in the back garden to make up for it but that that was as rustic as she ever planned on getting.

And Dov had complained the following morning that they'd made more noise outside than they did in their bedroom. He threatened to use the hose on them if they ever tried it again.

It had been such a great excuse never to get inside a tent again that Gail had almost kissed him for being the pain in the ass roommate that he was.

Which reminded her, maybe she should try that threat out on Dov when Chloe stayed over too much for her liking.

"So?" Chris prompts her for an answer. "I was so angry at them when I found out, I can't believe you're just going to let it go." He told her as he started to get work up over it again. "You almost died Gail!" He hissed at her.

Gail didn't need to be told, she was painfully aware of how close it could have been. But it didn't get that bad and she was absolutely fine now. No after affects whatsoever. Almost like it had never happened.

She sighed wishing that her mother would remember that and stop worrying about her.

She gave Chris a shrug. "You think they did it on purpose?" She asked him quietly as her eyes dropped uncomfortably to the table top. Years ago she wouldn't have been able to answer that truthfully because she wasn't really friends with any of them, maybe she would have thought it was on purpose. Maybe it would have been.

"No!" Chris told her firmly. "Course not." As angry as he was at Chloe and Andy he didn't think for a second that they actually meant it.

Gail didn't think so either. "Then what would the point be?" She asked him softly. "Being angry at them isn't going to change what happened, it won't even make me feel any better." She muttered with a tired sigh then finished off her drink.

Chris eyed his friend worriedly. It wasn't like Gail to let something go just to spare someone else's feelings. He took her empty glass and headed for the bar.

Gail frowned at Chris as he dropped a full glass into her hands, it certainly didn't look like her last coke did. She eyed him and took a tentative sip. "Wow." Now that was a proper drink, Bourbon by the little she had tasted.

Chris smirked into his beer.

Gail rolled her eyes before knocking glassware with Chris and taking a bigger sip, this time prepared for the strength of the alcohol.

"Why don't you take tomorrow off? I mean, given what happened, I'm sure no one will expect you anyway." Chris said as he tried to figure out a reason for the blonde's pensive mood.

Gail snort. "Yeah, and play right into my mother's hands?" She replied with a shake of her head. There was no way she was going to let anyone think she was less than capable of doing her job, she put up with enough of that as it was. "No thanks."

"Oh, come on Gail! No one would blame you, I mean you could have…you almost did…die." He told her. So what if people made dumb comments about her taking a shift off?

Gail frowned into her drink again, thinking on it. Most likely anyone else would have called in after going through what Gail had today, but Gail wasn't most people, she was a Peck and her mother would expect her to carry on as such.

"You know what, Chris? I think you're right, fuck it!" She said before downing the rest of her drink and slamming the empty glass back down onto the table between them.

Chris grinned at her and swallowed down the rest of his beer and stood up. "Another?"

Gail handed her glass over willingly this time. "Why the hell not?"

"That's the spirit!" Chris told her as he headed back to the bar.

Gail wasn't sure what her friend was playing at but he was right. She almost died today. Maybe it was time to stop caring what everyone else thought she should be doing and just start worrying about what she thought she should be doing with her life.

"So, what are you planning to do with your day of freedom then?" Chris asked as he came back with their drinks. This time he was the one with a soda.

Gail shrugged without comment as she took a drink from her glass.

"Hey!" Chris said as an idea struck him and he looked at Gail with an excited grin. "You know what you should do? You should try and find that woman that stopped to help you, she was amazing!"

Gail tried not to grin, or blush but it was hard as images of Holly's face surfaced in her mind's eye. She'd been wondering if she'd dreamed some of that or if it had actually happened.

"She totally knew what to do, she just took over and well, saved your life. I didn't even think about you having an allergic reaction, and then she was just sending me off for your Epipen. It was so lucky that she was just there at the right time, wasn't it?" He continued explaining to Gail as he wondered if she remembered any of that happening.

Gail bit her lip. "She should know what to do, she's a doctor."

Chris gave her a surprised look before he was grinning at her again. "You know her?" He asked her but went on without giving her a chance to reply, "You have to invite her around for dinner or out to the Penny for drinks! That's really amazing, I looked for her after the ambulance took you away but she just disappeared and no one else knew who she was, Traci caught her name though I think, Helen or Carly or something like that."

"Holly." Gail told him.

Chris pointed at her. "Yeah, that was it! Holly. Doctor Holly." He said giving her a slightly dopey half smile as he said her name. "She single?" He asked curiously.

Gail laughed at him for looking all hopeful at her. "Don't know about that but it wouldn't help you anyway."

Chris scowled at her and Gail rolled her eyes. "She's gay, idiot."

"Oh." Chris blinked then noticed how much happier Gail was in this moment. He hadn't seen her eyes twinkle like that in a long time. Then he caught on as his staring caused a blush to work its way up Gail cheeks. "_Oh!_" He winked at her. "Now you really have to ask her out, you know, as a thank you."

Gail kicked him lightly under the table. "Shut up." She ordered.

"Seriously Gail, she saved your life, the least you can do is buy her a drink." He told her before shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment at her attitude. "It's the right thing to do." He pressed.

Gail wasn't against the idea. She'd wanted to ask Holly out the first time they'd spoken together. But now? Wouldn't it feel a little weird to ask her out after she had seen her almost die?

She sighed thinking she'd screwed up that possibility, there was no way Holly would see her as anything but a patient now and Gail had enough people in her life thinking she needed someone to hold her hand all the time.

"Just think about it, yeah?" Chris said to her.

"Sure, why not." Gail could think about it all she wanted, because unless she used police resources she hadn't the first clue as to how to find Holly anyway so what did it matter. She could start stalking all the hospitals around Toronto but she didn't think that would help her case with the doctor anyway.

But as the image of Holly's caring eyes flooded her thoughts, she couldn't help but feel saddened by the idea that she wouldn't get to see the other woman again.

Maybe she could do a little investigating with her free time in the morning.

Just to say thank you.

xxxxxx

**AN/** joj14 and Scoobeedooh; sorry for the wait.

Yeah, I totally suck, I know.

Turns out I just can't do short fics :(

Anyway, aren't we all just in love with Charlotte and Aliyah? Yes we are is the answer, yes we are indeed.

Just a few days to go now folks :D Are you all excited? Rookie Blue = Yay!

Thanks for reading guys (gals?), and the very weird reaction to the first chapter, which still leaves me scratching my head but glad you all enjoyed it.

Hope you like the rest of the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Gail paused at the entrance to the park and glanced inside. It was almost 6am and she had already called in to the front desk to let them know she wouldn't be on shift today but would more than likely be back tomorrow. The guy on the desk had just grunted at her but she was sure Frank would get the message, if not from the grunter then from everyone else that arrived at 15 today.

That's if her mom hadn't already made a call to him herself about yesterday.

A throat clearing brought Gail back to the present. "Sorry." She said and edged out of the way of a dog walker she noticed waiting behind her. The guy gave her a strange look but walked off into the park, his tiny little mutt racing ahead of him.

"Whatever." She mumbled to herself with a scowl on her face. She had to be out of her mind. Really. Here she was about to head into yesterdays 'scene of the crime', which was how she was referring to her brush with death, with a book in one hand and a bottle of water in the other and her sunglasses tucked into the neck of her t-shirt.

She had no idea what she was doing here. Now. When she could have been sleeping in her bed for like, the next 12 hours. And then getting drunk while playing video games and ordering take-out.

Okay, she maybe she did know. She just wasn't sure she wanted to admit it to herself.

Because it was stupid right?

To plan to hang around in a park all morning to try and see if a certain someone just happens to turn up for a morning run.

There was no way for Gail to know if Holly ran in this park every day. And even if she did, there was no guarantee that she ran in the mornings because she could just as easily do her running in the evenings after work. Or maybe she only ran here at weekends and just ran around her block during the week.

There were just so many possibilities to take into account that it was a long shot to even bother showing up here. But it wasn't like Gail had anything better to do with her morning.

She glanced around and spotted a few joggers and dog walkers already dotted around the perimeter of the lake. With a sigh she started walking. She walked for ten minutes, paying attention to the female joggers, and when she couldn't spot a likeness to Holly Stewart she found a tree not too far away from the path and sat down with her back against the trunk and placed her water in the shade and her book in her lap.

She'd give it an hour.

Just one hour and then she'd let this whole idea of finding Holly go.

Gail flicked her eyes from the page of the book to the area around her, then she shook her head. If any of her friends could see her now they wouldn't believe it. And they'd insist on taking her to the doctors.

She wasn't sure what would freak them out more, the fact that she was willingly up and out of her bed this early when she didn't have a shift, or that she was actually reading a book.

Gail sighed and with a final, unsuccessful search for Holly, she turned to the last page she'd stopped and picked up the journey of Jack Reacher in New York City trying to solve the puzzle of why a woman on the subway cart with him blew her brains out in front of him a two in the morning.

Gail was on page 403, caught up once more in Lila Hoth and the DVD she wanted Jack to watch and appreciate. It was pretty graphic, and Gail enjoyed it immensely, it was good to show the bad characters really were evil. Even if this was just fictional. It was good to have that clear line in the sand, the good guys were the ones that stopped the bad guys, even if they sometimes went outside the law to accomplish that.

Not like really life. Not like Gail's job. Where she could arrest some beaten up woman's husband or partner and charge him and lock him up only for the woman to turn around and drop the charges. Or when you knew you had the right suspect for a crime but the DA tell you there isn't enough evidence to prosecute.

Law enforcement was such a hard job because the rule meant you needed a body of evidence to properly assign guilt and obtain a conviction or even better, a confession.

She'd grown up listening to her parents and then her brother telling stories of putting away the bad guys.

But she had four years on the job now and knew that the guilty weren't always put away and the innocent weren't always so innocent.

That didn't mean she didn't love her job because she did, but sometimes it got to you and some cases were hard to let go.

So today Jack Reacher was going to get the bad guys, even if that meant killing them, and Gail was going to enjoy her day off, even if it didn't end with a sighting of a cute doctor.

xxxxxx

Gail sighed as her shaded eyes took in the path around the lake once more. There was no sign at all of a figure that would fit Holly. And a glance at her watch let her know she was wasting her time.

A shout from behind her caught her attention, it was a male voice calling something back and as she turned to see what was going on she got a face full of happy puppy.

"Uh, okay, okay." Gail said as she turned her head away from the tongue licking at her face while she tried to push the animal out of her lap. "Good… dog." She muttered again, clenching her jaw to stop herself from doing something worse, but the second the dog was pulled away from her Gail jumped to her feet and put some distance between herself and it.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about that, he just ran off." The guys who must have been the one that yelled said to Gail as he snapped a lead back on to the dog's collar.

"No problem." Gail muttered but she kept her eyes on the dog to make sure it stayed away from her.

The guy chuckled making Gail glance up at him. He grinned at her and held his hand out. "I'm Joshua, and this here is Titan."

Gail gave the dog a sceptical look. It was pretty small, lap dog small, but if it was just a puppy then it might grow larger. But Titan?

She sighed and stopped caring about the stupid names owners gave to their dog. She then saw the outstretched hand. "Gail." She answered finally as she shook the guy's hand.

"Nice name. Short for Abigail right?"

Gail let his hand go and scowled at him. That was the guy's second strike, the first was allowing the dog to attack her.

Joshua cleared his throat and raked his hand threw his hair as he realised that the blonde in front of him wasn't very happy. He glanced to where she'd been sitting and noticed the book and quickly reached down for it before his dog saw it and decided it was a new chew toy.

He handed it over to Gail with a sheepish grin. "I'm real sorry about before, he's still being trained. Aren't you boy?" He asked his dog who barked and wagged its tail at him.

Gail cringed at the put on voice. "It's fine really." She told him finally glancing down at her clothes, at least the dog hadn't ran through dog shit before climbing all over her. "Let's call it even, I was done for the day anyway." She muttered as she wiped at her sweats.

Joshua grinned again as he eyed Gail. He chuckled again. "I'm not sure where you get us being even from, my dog attacked you." He pointed out to her.

But Gail was perfectly aware of what had happened. She eyed Joshua then raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, why don't you let me buy you breakfast?" He offered with a hopeful look.

Gail blinked. Was he really hitting on her?

He must have noticed her reluctance as he hurried on. "Just you and me, I'll leave Titan in the car." He assured her.

Gail tilted her head and studied Joshua for a second, he was over six feet, a touch taller than Chris, dirty blonde hair and had the same boyish type of a grin. Now at one point in her life she might have found him sort of attractive. But those days were long gone.

"Sooo?" Joshua asked as he was left hanging on Gail's response.

"So no." Gail said with a shake of her head. She then leant down and picked up her now empty bottle of water. When she stood back up she smiled at Joshua and then wiggled her hand at the dog and started to walk away. "Bye."

She hadn't made it ten feet before the dog was at her feet and then Joshua was walking with her.

She rolled her eyes and kept going.

"Come on, just let me buy you a coffee, or hey, if you're busy now let me give you my number, we can do this later?" He said.

Gail chuckled at the guy's persistence. It was not attractive in the least no matter how charming or cute he thought he was being. She looked sideways at him. "Let's not?"

He sighed heavily but continued walking with her.

Gail frowned then chose to ignore him and just concentrated on avoiding Titan when he ventured across her path to sniff at the grass on her side of the path. Each time it happened Joshua apologised and rounded her to untangle her from the lead.

And then she was at her car and Joshua was still there. She scowled at him again as she dumped her empty bottle and her book onto the passenger seat. She then lifted the sunglasses up onto her head and put her hands onto her hips as she waited for yet another cheesy pickup line.

"Wow, your eyes are really blue." He said. "And you're really pretty."

"And I'm really gay." She snipped back not happy with the way this guy was acting with her.

He shrugged at the news and continued to smile at her.

Gail sighed and shook her head. "Look, I'm sure you're a nice enough guy, but seriously, you need to take the hint when you get one. I'm not interested, please leave me alone." Gail spoke calmly and directly to him, keeping eye contact and doing her best not to lose her temper.

"If you give me your number I'll leave you alone." He countered with a wide grin.

Gail had to wonder if Joshua was high or just stupid. But whatever he was she was running out of patience. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and sent off a quick text message.

"Cool!" Joshua muttered as he noticed she had her cell phone out.

"Yeah, cool." Gail muttered keeping her eyes on her screen until she got a responding text. She then plastered on her best fake grin and leaned against her car as she let her eyes trail over Joshua. "So, Josh, what's your full name? Just so I get it right."

Joshua straightened. "Henderson, Joshua Henderson." He supplied quickly.

"Right, and how old are you?"

"25 in August."

Gail snorted but kept her eyes down as she relayed the information.

A minute or so went by before Joshua realised something as they stood there facing each other.

"Don't you want my number?" He asked Gail with a frown.

Scoffing Gail muttered, "Oh, I've got your number." Just as he cell beeped and she opened up the next message.

"Huh?" Joshua asked, not understanding how the blonde could have his number when he hadn't gave her it yet.

Gail took in a deep breath as she read. "Woah, why am I'm not surprised." She said to herself with a shake of her head.

"So Josh, this is how this goes," She explained as she gave him a direct glare. "You're going to go away, and stay out of the park today or if you have to go back in there you are to stay away from other people, you got that?" Going by his confused look he clearly didn't. She sighed knowing no one ever to you seriously out of uniform. "When a woman tells you 'no' you do not then proceed to follow her through the park and on to where she has parked her car. It's not just creepy, it's against the law." Okay, technically she couldn't actually charge him with anything besides public nuisance which would just be a slap on the wrist. But she really didn't like his persistence and if he was this way with her, when she clearly had no interest in him and had already told him she was gay then how was he treating other women that fell for that kind of crap?

"If there's a call about some guy out here bothering women in the park matching your description then I'm going to have an officer turn up to your apartment on Wellington to arrest you." Gail told him.

Joshua stepped back as he scowled at Gail. "How do you know where I live?"

Gail sighed. "Your full name is Joshua Iain Henderson, born 15-08-89, arrested for possession of a class B drug last year." She gave him a look. "That sound like you?" She asked.

Joshua blinked and continued to back away from Gail, only now he was glancing around nervously. "You're a cop?" He asked cautiously.

"What gave it away?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

With a final look around Joshua started making his way down the sidewalk bordering the park.

Gail shook her head as she watched him go. "And keep that damn dog on its lead!" She called after him.

"God, was this a waste of time." She muttered to herself as she slipped into her car. She sat there for a moment wondering why things never seemed to just run smoothly for her. All she had wanted to do was sit in the park and see if Holly showed up.

Was that really asking for too much?

With a sigh of disappointment she started her car just as another text came through on her cell. She clicked her seatbelt on then looked at her phone.

It was Chris asking if she was okay given the information she'd just asked him for.

She sent a reply back that she was okay but that Joshua Henderson was a bit of a creep.

She stayed parked there as she waited for Chris' reply but as she sat there Oliver sent her a text.

_Doughnut break. Usual place. Now._

That actually sounded perfect to Gail. She started to back out as her phone beeped again but this time she left it and started driving her way through Toronto to her favourite little café that served the best coffee and doughnuts she'd ever had.

xxxxxxx

Thankfully she had stayed at the park long enough that she had missed the morning rush and was pulling into a parking spot just a few cars down from what she assumed to be Oliver Shaw's squad car.

She walked over to it and hopped up onto the hood as she peered into the shop looking to see who was inside. She grinned and pulled up her sunglasses just as Oliver and Chris walked out of the shop laden with coffee cups and pastry boxes.

Gail stuck her hand out and Chris dropped a coffee cup into it. She lifted the lid and inhaled the caffeine goodness with a hum of satisfaction as Oliver stood in front of her and bit into a doughnut.

"So, why did I only hear about the…in parade?" Oliver asked sounding a little put out as he gestured to her as if that was enough to explain what he meant.

Unfortunately it was.

She shrugged and looked into the box Chris opened for her. "There's nothing really to tell." She tried to deflect. "Chris just said it'd be a good excuse to bum the day off. I agreed." She told Oliver before biting into her own pastry.

Oliver sighed and kicked at the cars bumper. "You okay?" He asked sounding genuinely concerned.

Gail swallowed her mouthful quickly as she was nodding her head. "Yeah." She got why he was taking this a little worse than the others. Oliver hadn't been there yesterday or later, so he hadn't seen for himself that she was okay. "It was nothing, really." She tried to reassure him.

Chris snorted as he wiped sugar dust from his mouth. "Bullshit, that was scary as hell." He challenged. "If it hadn't been for that doctor being there you might have died."

Gail clenched her jaw as she glared at her friend. She would have tried to kick him but he was standing further away than Oliver was.

"Is that true?" Oliver asked, stepping between the pair as they glared at each other. He glanced from one to the other. "Well?"

Gail sighed and offered a shrug. She really would prefer if everyone would just forget the whole event.

Chris nodded in answer to Oliver. He actually hadn't slept well last night, so he wasn't capable of just brushing this off the way Gail was trying to. The panic was still too real to him.

"I'm fine, really." Gail stressed as she took a drink of her coffee. "It wouldn't have even been that bad if I'd brought my bag up from the car like Chris told me to."

Oliver finished off his treat. The idea of one of his daughters having something like this happen to them… it was a parent's worst nightmare. "But there was a doctor there as well right?" He asked, although he'd already got every detail Chris could give him.

"Yeah, Holly." Chris answered for Gail.

Gail sent him another glare.

"Second name?" Oliver asked casually, or so he thought.

Gail's eyes widen and she points at her senior officer. "No, no, nu huh, no!"

Oliver laughed and made a gesture with his hand that Gail should just give him the information already. "I just want to send her a thank you. You know, for prolonging 15's misery of having you around." He told her with a straight face even as Chris chuckled behind him.

"Oh, aren't we funny." Gail said to him.

"My girls all think so." Oliver replied proudly.

"Yeah, no, they're laughing at you not with you, old man." Gail pointed out for him.

Oliver snorted. "Okay, now you are giving me that name, or I'll call Superintendent Peck and ask her for it." He warned.

"You wouldn't?"

Oliver shrugged back at her, not as scared of Elaine as Gail obviously was. "Try me, makes no difference to me but Holly might not like the intrusion." He pointed out.

Gail pouted. There was no way she was mentioning Holly to her mother. "Stewart." She admitted after accepting defeat.

Besides, given how many hospitals there was in Toronto not to mention private clinics there was just no way Gail was going to find Holly on her own without a little help.

Oliver pursed his lips and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Stewart?" He asked, just for clarification.

Chris nodded, recalling the name now. "Yeah, Doctor Holly Stewart."

Oliver smiled to himself but covered it as he took a drink of coffee.

Gail narrowed her eyes as she noticed the lip twitch.

"Well, this has been fun," Oliver said as he threw his coffee cup into a nearby trash can. He then took the box out of Chris' hands and passed it over to Gail. "These are for you. Now get off my car, some of us have important work to do." He told Gail as he helped her back onto the sidewalk.

Bemused Chris just went along with his partner for the shift and shrugged behind Oliver's back when Gail sent him a questioning look.

"Aren't you going to run a check on her?" She asked tentatively as Oliver opened the driver's side door and slipped into his seat.

"That would be an abuse of power." Oliver told her as Chris join him in the car. "Which reminds me," He said as he leaned out the open window. "This Josh guy? Want us to swing by? Give him a scare, threaten to hall him in?"

Gail snorted, still feeling thrown by Oliver's sudden need to get back out onto the streets.

"Wouldn't that be an abuse of power?" She bit back at him.

Oliver made a show of thinking it over. "You're right Peck, maybe we should see if he want to make a complaint about your harassment?" He offered cheekily.

"I hate you." Gail muttered and started towards her car.

Oliver chuckled as he watched her go from inside the squad car.

"What was that about?" Chris asked quietly as he watched Gail walk away.

Oliver just smirked and pulled out of their spot and took off down the street, checking Gail's car for a moment as she pulled out and headed the other way. Only then did he turn his amused eyes towards Chris.

"Holly? Holly Stewart? For real?" He asked.

Chris shrugged helplessly still not sure what was going on. "That's what Gail said her name was."

"Dark hair, dark eyes, glasses, 5' 10", that sound about right?" Oliver checked.

Still puzzled Chris replied with, "Yeah, I guess that sounds about right."

Oliver laughed. Really laughed.

"What?" Chris had to ask because Oliver had went from concerned parent to hysterical in less than 5 seconds. "You okay?"

Oliver nodded still finding the whole thing very amusing. "It's a small, small world Christopher."

Chris winced at his full name.

"A small world." Oliver continued to himself as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Is that a good thing?" Chris had to ask.

"For me? Yes, right now, that's a wonderful thing." Oliver replied with a decisive nod of his head.

Chris still didn't have a clue what this was all about but he had to work with Oliver for the rest of the shift so he thought it was best if he kept quiet for now.

Oliver hummed as he kept driving, and even as he slowed to a stop he kept humming a tune.

"Wait here, kid." Oliver said as he pulled out the car keys and got out of the car.

Chris glanced around and noticed that they were at the Forensic building. But he didn't understand why because they hadn't been asked to get any reports for anyone at 15.

"Are we supposed to pick up something? I never heard anything over the radio." He said to Oliver.

Oliver just grinned. "No. I'm just going to see a woman about a Peck."

And with that he walked towards the entrance and disappeared into the building.

Chris scowled then pulled out his cell phone as it buzzed in his vest.

It was a message from Gail.

_Did Ollie hit his head again?_

Chris grinned and laughed, at least he wasn't the only one questioning Oliver's behaviour. He sent a reply that as far as he knew it was just the sugar rush and that this was why Celery had him on his diet.

But then he glanced at the building in front of him and had to wonder what Peck it was Oliver was seeing someone about.

And why this building.

xxxxxxx

**AN/**

We'll have Holly turn up in the next chapter folks.

Thanks for reading!


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